A legend meets a queen — will the encounter become romantic? Esports champion Faker, whose real name is Lee Sang-hyuk, and K-pop star Karina of girl group aespa have teamed up for a short-form video series for Google Play, the tech giant said on Friday.

The series, which will show the two celebrities “immersed in the charms of gaming,” will debut on May 15.


In a teaser video released on Friday, Faker approaches Karina, lightly grabs her wrist and says, “I am sure now, not as Faker but as the person Lee Sang-hyuk.”

“The fun 'Play on Play' campaign will present a short-form series with Faker and Karina,” Google Play said in a blog post. “The project will be a collaboration between the two stars and produced by Dolphiners Films.”

No other details have been unveiled.

Since debuting as a professional gamer in 2013, Faker has been with the esports team T1 for 13 years. He has won six total League of Legends World Championship titles, including three consecutive victories.

Karina debuted as the leader of aespa in 2020. The group has released hit songs such as “Next Level” (2021), “Supernova” (2024) and “Whiplash” (2024).

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]